Just My Thoughts – I’m Gay, I Love Drag Shows, and They Have NO Place Around Children

(Pensacola, Florida; Mar. 9, 2023,) – I'm gay. Yep, gay; I'm a dude who's into dudes. I love drag queens. In fact, drag queens are some of the most creative, innovative, and talented performers I've ever seen. Drag shows have NO place around children. Drag queens (and the less common drag kings) are performers with … Continue reading Just My Thoughts – I’m Gay, I Love Drag Shows, and They Have NO Place Around Children

Veteran Talk – The Trauma Olympics

(Pensacola, Florida; Jan. 25, 2023) – The Trauma Olympics don't actually exists, but there are many people, both veterans and civilians, who still try to root for them! I've never tried to hide my frustration, indeed, my outrage and indignation, that I've been sidelined and marginalized by many veterans organizations and other trauma support groups … Continue reading Veteran Talk – The Trauma Olympics

The Writer’s Craft – The Winning Formula

(Pensacola, Florida; Jan. 12, 2023,) – The familiar cry often echoes across the hallowed halls of entertainment: this is boring; it's too formulaic! We often disparage disliked books, movies, and TV shows as being 'too formulaic.' However, as writers, we have to ask the question, "What does 'too formulaic' actually mean?” The short answer is … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – The Winning Formula

Just My Thoughts – Who Gets to Define ‘Misinformation?’

(Pensacola, Florida; Nov. 7, 2022,) – There’s been a lot of hue and cry, Sturm and Drang, hand-wringing, gnashing of teeth, and pulling of hair over Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter. In fact, much of the reporting has been hysterical screeds against free speech because it means ‘misinformation’ will reign supreme. Many journalists, pundits, politicians, … Continue reading Just My Thoughts – Who Gets to Define ‘Misinformation?’

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 7—Bonus! Introductions

(Pensacola, Florida; Oct. 28, 2022,) – BONUS! Score! You’ve just stumbled on the bonus seventh part of my six-part series about slaying your audience with the perfect villain! We’ve discussed five factors you need to keep in mind when creating a villain: Characterization Motivations Thematic Opposition Credibility (the villain has to win once in a … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 7—Bonus! Introductions

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 6—The ‘Cool’ Factor

(Pensacola, Florida; Oct. 18, 2022,) – Killing it with the perfect villain is just as critical to good writing as killing it with a great hero is. A story might thrive if the villain is an undeveloped cipher. The hero’s journey, the interaction of the characters, and the exciting events can still create a rip-roaring … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 6—The ‘Cool’ Factor

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 5—The Villain Has to Win Occasionally

(Pensacola, Florida; Sept. 23, 2022,) – The villain has to win, at least occasionally. Creating the perfect villain requires writers to develop them as multifaceted characters with clear motivations, characters who stand in thematic (if not overt) opposition to the hero, but it also requires something else. The villain has to win (at least occasionally) … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 5—The Villain Has to Win Occasionally

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 4—Thematic Opposition

(Pensacola, Florida; Sept. 16, 2022,) – Killing it with the perfect villain is not an overly difficult challenge, but it does require one to ensure several factors are taken into account when building the character. This series has so far looked at two of the five things I believe make a great villain: characterization and … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 4—Thematic Opposition

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 3—Motivation

(Pensacola, Florida; Sept. 9, 2022,) – Slaying your audience with the perfect villain is an aspiration all writers aspire to, be they working in print, on stage, or screen. The villain must have the same care given to his/her/its development as your protagonist. As we move into part 3 of this discussion, let’s look at … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 3—Motivation

The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 2—Characterization

(Pensacola, Florida; August 25, 2022,) – Killing it with the perfect villain is every fiction writer’s dream. All of us dabbling in the realm of fiction yearn to create a villain remembered in that rarified literary firmament along with Darth Vader, Thanos, Lady MacBeth, The White Witch, and the Joker. Conceptualizing, creating, and crafting such … Continue reading The Writer’s Craft – Killing it with the Perfect Villain, Part 2—Characterization